Discusion of BeagleBoard Capabilities

This video is pretty much an interview-style discussion about the goals for the BeagleBoard and its many capabilities. Koen and Mans start off by giving a brief overview of what the BeagleBoard is. They then proceed to discuss its potential uses and real-world applications. Lastly, they consider these possibilities and whether or not they have already been attempted and/or are practical enough to be implemented.

BeagleBoard-based Hand-held Computer

Here is a practical use for the BB as a whole. The idea of a hand held computer has always been intriguing, but with a board as tiny as the BB, it is made possible. It is not like a PSP or Nintendo DS, whose primary function is gaming. The BB has features that allow it to become quite literally a hand-held computer. Even with the restrictions of being placed into this case, none of the original functionality is lost or hindered. All of the inputs and outputs are still readily accessible. This is an excellent way to put the BeagleBoard to an even more practical use.

BeagleBoard Graphics Video

This video is a very good representation of the graphic potential the BeagleBoard possesses. There is no sound I am afraid, but you can see the excellent graphics and resolution that the BeagleBoard is capable of running.

Video: Laser Input

Laser Input




The BeagleBoard sends its output image to a large dispay (such as that made by a projector). A laser pointed at this display is used to determine user input. A usb webcam sends the input image it detects to the BeagleBoard, which then locates extreme intensities of red (laser). It then uses the location of this specific intensity to make selections determined by the users input (pointing the laser). It is basically like using a laser-pointer for a mouse.

Video: 3D, Angstrom, and Ubuntu

Today and from now on I will be reviewing and creating summarizations of BeagleBoard-related videos. Today's review is on the following video:



This video shows two 3-D demos running on the BeagleBoard: The 3-D "evil skull" demo and a real time pixel shading demo. This video also shows the Angstrom demo and Ubuntu demo running on the BeagleBoard. As an added feature, there are speech bubbles that pop up and label the hardware and demos throughout the video. This is a great way for a new user to learn the capabilities of a BeagleBoard.

4/2/09

[00:41:57] General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) is an interface available on microprocessors and microcontrollers. These devices may have one or more GPIO connections. Each GPIO connection can be used for either reading digital signals (input), or for controlling other devices (output).

[02:47:38] PCIe is an acroynym for Peripheral Component Interconnect Express. It is a computer expansion card standard introduced by Intel in 2004.